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Electrifying! Cadillac Debuts All-New Long-Range Lyriq EV

The new Cadillac Lyriq, the luxury brand’s first EV, made its debut Thursday evening.

It’s become the General Motors corporate mantra, the automaker routinely reminding us that it is on “a path to an all-electric future.” We’ve already got the Chevrolet Bolt, with an extended version coming out next year. There’ll also be two different GMC Hummers: an SUV and a full-size pickup.

All told, GM plans to introduce “20 or more” all-electric products by 2023 and as important as any will be the new Cadillac Lyriq, the luxury brand’s first pure battery-electric vehicle. With Lyriq, Caddy throws down the gauntlet with a direct challenge to competitors including Tesla. More significantly, the electric SUV will determine whether Cadillac is on the right path itself considering brand boss Steve Carlisle has confirmed that 100% of the marque’s line-up will be electric come 2030.

“This is a very big moment for Cadillac and General Motors,” said Carlisle, recently given the additional role of president of North American operation. Lyriq, he added during a media backgrounder this week, “really is a cornerstone upon which we’re going to build the future.”

(Cadillac pulls plug on April debut of Lyriq EV due to coronavirus concerns.)

After months of hints and one delay, Cadillac finally lifted the covers on the Lyriq.

Caddy has been dropping more and more hints about the electric SUV in recent months. It was originally scheduled for a spring unveiling but the timetable got tossed due to the coronavirus. Instead, GM’s premier brand had to settle for today’s digital debut. Even so, with the production model still the better part of a year away – for the Chinese market, with the U.S. version not rolling into dealerships until the 2022 model-year – Cadillac is leaving much unsaid for now.

With the formal debut of the Cadillac Lyriq, here are some basics that we do know:

  • What we see today is officially described as a “concept,” but there will be relatively few changes with the production version;
  • The midsize Lyriq will ride on an all-new BEV3 architecture flexible enough to handle a wide range of different products;
  • Its skateboard platform will mount battery pack and motors below the load floor, and it will have the capability of offering different pack sizes and motor layouts;
  • Available only in two-row form, that approach frees up space for the interior that otherwise would have been used for a gas engine;
  • Two versions will be offered initially, a base model and a high-performance version.

The new Lyriq is part of GM’s larger plan to bring out nearly two dozen EVs in the next few years.

Longer-term, don’t be surprised to see additional variants, confided Marty Hogan, Lyriq’s chief engineer. Cadillac “will evaluate the need,” among other things, for a Lyriq equivalent of the V-Series packages now offered on conventional, gas-powered Caddy models such as the CT4-V. “I see V-variants across the range as time goes on,” echoed brand chief Carlisle.

The good news is that the BEV3 architecture is extremely flexible, capable of being used for front- rear- or all-wheel-drive layouts. The base model will be RWD, the performance model going AWD, with motors on both front and rear axles, though precisely how many motors is uncertain.

Also unknown is how much power the base and performance models will make. We know that the GMC Hummer will be offered with a top-line, AWD package punching out a tire-spinning 1,000 horsepower. That level could be reserved for a future Lyriq V-Series or even Blackwing model. Something more in the 400+ range appears likely for the Performance version. Even then, GM insiders are hinting at something on the order of 4 seconds 0-60. And, thanks to the instant-on torque of electric motors, the SUV’s launch feel should be intense.

The electric SUV’s hallmark feature will be this gently curved, 33-inch LED display running virtually the full width of the instrument panel.

When the automaker’s second-generation EV technology, used in the Chevy Bolt, came out, its initial 238-mile range was seen as significant. Today, that’s barely enough, Tesla recently launching a long-range Model S delivering 400 miles per charge.

At the upper end, expect to see Lyriq delver at least 300 miles and, if anything, “We’re working to get all of our powertrain combinations north of 300 miles range,” said Hogan.

Lyriq will use the new Ultium batteries GM plans to produce at a new plant in Ohio operated as part of a joint venture with Korea’s LG Chem. Unlike Tesla’s cylindrical batteries, these are prismatic – or pouch-style – which GM claims offers more flexibility in their layout, allowing more customization depending upon the vehicle.

In some applications, GM will be able to load in as many as 200 kilowatt-hours of batteries – that will be needed to give the Hummer its promised 400-mile range and towing capacity. In Lyriq, expect something around 100 kWh or slightly more, depending on the range option.

(GM outlines EV plan to cover every brand, product segment and price range.)

Recent Cadillac models have softened the distinctive Art & Science design language, Lyriq returns to a more aggressive and distinctive styling language.

The lithium-ion cells will be able to charge using second-generation 140 kilowatt quick chargers at 400V DC. That should mean an 80% charge-up at under an hour, though that’s another detail GM will reveal later.

There had been some speculation Lyriq would come with a more advanced, 800V system capable of utilizing a 350 kW charger, much like the Porsche Taycan. That more expensive system is in the works for future BEVs and, based on what GM President Mark Reuss told TheDetroitBureau.com last March, could eventually yield a 90% charge in under 10 minutes.

In terms of home charging, Lyriq will be capable of handling as much as a 19 kilowatt Level-2 240-volt system, one of the fastest home-charging rates now available.

(GM launches partnership with EVgo to rapidly increase availability of public chargers.)

In keeping with the high-tech nature of the Lyriq, one of the electric SUV’s hallmark features will be a gently curved, 33-inch LED display running virtually the full width of the instrument panel.The system will operate the latest version of the Cadillac Cue infotainment system.

The Lyriq interior offers plenty of simple controls for its electric powertrain.

Among other high-tech features, there will be a multi-plane head-up display that not only shows familiar information, such as speed, turn signals and warnings, but appears to project navigation information onto the road ahead. An arrow will point directly at the corner where you should turn, for example, if you’re using navigation. Meanwhile, the Lyriq will be offered with the updated Super Cruise semi-autonomous system, allowing hands-free operation on 200,000 miles of U.S. roads and adding the new ability to change lanes simply by tapping the turn signal.

The entire interior will adopt a more high-tech look and feel. And for those who complain that today’s Caddy cabins are elegant yet boring, the overall design is clearly one of the most striking and distinctive the brand has ever come up with.

EVs tend to be shockingly quiet. Caddy aims to eliminate the more unusual sounds that can enter the cabin, including wind and tire noises, using an active cancellation system relying on accelerometers, as well as microphones. On the flip side, it will debut with a 19-speaker AKG Studio audio system.The exterior follows the design approach of the interior. Where the latest-generation Cadillac models have softened the distinctive Art & Science design language that helped put the brand back on the map, Lyriq returns to a more aggressive and distinctive styling language. It revives the Caddy theme vertical lighting, boxing in a distinctive, slat-like grille that alternates what design chief Andrew Smith describes as “floating metal bars” between “crystal-like” slats. The grille, as well as the familiar Cadillac grille, both light up.

The Cadillac Lyriq will be able to use next-gen 150 kW quick chargers, GM partnering with EVgo to expand their availability in the U.S.

A coupe-like roofline flows into a crisply formed rear end with a relatively small back glass and mostly vertical lighting.

With the launch of Lyriq, Cadillac takes dead aim at competitors such as Jaguar, Audi, BMW and, of course, Tesla. It remains to be seen where the new SUV will be priced, though company officials hinted during the backgrounder that we should see it start below $75,000. Audi’s e-tron starts at $77,400 and has been faulted for a range of just over 200 miles.

Add up all the competitors and they’re barely matching what Tesla generates in sales. So, taking on the 800-pound gorilla of the EV market will be a challenge for Cadillac, especially when you consider how long it is taking to get Lyriq into showrooms.

“This is an important launch for Cadillac. They clearly need to be in the electric vehicle market,” said Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst with Navigant Research. “My main concern is that it seem like it’s going to be late,” he added, noting most luxury competitors will already be competing in the BEV space, many by then with multiple products.

(GM confirms Hummer debut “this fall.”)

On the plus side, Navigant believes BEVs will still only account for about 3.5 to 4% of the automotive  market at that point so, if Lyriq proves as good a product as promised, it could ride the wave as the EV revolution takes hold.

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First Look: 2021 Nissan Ariya

The 2021 Nissan Ariya is about the size of a Rogue SUV – but features the interior space of the bigger Murano.

Nissan is singing a new tune. With the arrival of the 2021 Ariya, Japan’s second-largest carmaker hopes to rebuild its once-lofty position as an innovator in the emerging market for battery-electric vehicles.

The automaker was, in fact, the first to mass market a BEV, but a decade after the launch of the original Leaf model, Nissan has not only been eclipsed by Tesla, but is being challenged by more conventional competitors, such as Volkswagen, Ford and General Motors,  each rolling out waves of new long-range battery-cars.

The 2021 Nissan Ariya is the long-overdue battery-SUV meant to keep Nissan in the game. It’s a ground-up offering, not just a redesigned Leaf, with a brand-new platform and electric drive system that is more powerful and able to deliver longer range. Ariya also debuts Nissan’s first hands-free driving system.

(A week with the 2020 Nissan Leaf SL Plus.)

The Nissan Ariya will be offered in either front- or all-wheel-drive configurations.

The new model “is the spearhead, showing our vision of the future,” said Ivan Espinosa, the carmaker’s senior vice president of global product planning, during a media roundtable ahead of the battery car’s Wednesday debut. “Ariya is not just an EV,” he emphasized. “It is showing the technical prowess of Nissan…what Nissan stands for.”

Pronounced like the song an opera diva sings, a concept version of the Ariya made its first appearance at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show last autumn, followed by a U.S. debut at January’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Though there were some design details unique to exotic concepts, like the oversized wheels, the show car will go into production with only minor changes.

The 2021 Ariya rides on a flexible new architecture, Espinosa explained during the online meeting. It eventually will be used for a variety of battery-cars to be produced not only by Nissan but also by its two alliance partners, Japan’s Mitsubishi and France’s Renault.

(Nissan lifts the covers on the next-gen Rogue.)

Features like the grille-less nose help reduce aero drag.

“The beauty of this platform is it’s modular (which) allows us to accommodate different possibilities,” he said, adding that the three partners have “a lot of questions about what new areas of the market we can explore.”

As with key competitors like Tesla, Ford, GM and VW, the platform positions its batteries, motors and other key components below the load floor. That reduces the size of the traditional engine compartment, allowing significantly more freedom, said Nissan’s global styling chief Alfonso Albaisa. And the development team found other breakthrough strategies. Rather than mounting the climate control, or HVAC, system within the instrument panel, it was moved into the modest space left where an engine would normal go, freeing up more space for the passenger compartment.

“You get inside and you’re really shocked,” suggested Albaisa, pointing out that the exterior footprint of the Nissan Ariya is about as big as the subcompact Rogue SUV, but the cabin has the roominess of the much larger Murano.

(Nissan among automakers taking big sales hit in Q2.))

The interior borrows heavily from the Ariya concept.

From an exterior design perspective, the Ariya is far less geeky than the Leaf which was designed during an era when green machines were expected to look like something from a sci-fi flick. That said, there are some obvious cues that tell you it’s a BEV, starting with absence of a conventional grille – electric vehicles needing far less disruptive airflow under the hood. Slit headlamps each feature four distinct LED bulbs. From the side, the crossover adapts a curvaceous, coupe-like shape, with plenty of subtle details designed to cheat the range-stealing wind – including twin rear spoilers.

Inside, Albaisa’s team adopted a minimalist approach, with a floating, horizontally oriented instrument panel featuring side-by-side video screens, each measuring 12.3 inches. One of the neat tricks is the ability to swipe across the infotainment display and move elements to the primary gauge display. The lack of a center tunnel creates a flat floor that makes it possible to sit five inside with reasonable comfort.

The new modular architecture is, fundamentally, front-wheel-drive, though buyers also will have the option of ordering an all-wheel-drive, twin-motor package. Nissan started all but from scratch, developing a new electric drive system it has dubbed e-4ORCE. The system has been described as the “spiritual offspring” of the automaker’s GT-R sports car, and that underscores a fundamental shift in thinking. No longer does Nissan believe BEV buyers will sacrifice that fun-to-drive quality just to go green.

Ariya will offer a standard battery or a 300-mile option.

The front-drive system delivers 160 kilowatts, or about 214 horsepower, and 221 pound-feet of torque. The twin-motor AWD system bumps that up to 290 kW, or 389 hp, and 443 lb-ft. The e-4ORCE system can direct power to individual wheels, using torque to assist driver input, among other things, when tracking through a corner.

That also pays off when using the next-generation ProPilot Assist 2.0, Nissan’s semi-autonomous driving system. The original version could help center the vehicle in its lane, among other things, but required drivers to keep hands on the wheel at all times. The new system, Nissan explained, allows “attentive drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel under certain conditions.”

Specific details have yet to be released but it appears to follow the format of GM’s Super Cruise and Ford’s new version of CoPilot 360, operating on limited-access roads mapped in high-resolution. A monitoring system makes sure a driver remains alert and ready to take control in an emergency.

In terms of batteries, Nissan has continued tinkering with the chemistry of its lithium-ion cells and has both cut their cost and increased their energy density, storing more power in less space. The base 2021 Ariya stores 63 kilowatt-hours. That’s within a kWh of the current, longest-range version of the gen-2 Nissan Leaf Plus. The Ariya offers an extended-range 87 kWh battery expected to get around 300 miles per charge, according to the EPA.

Ariya’s 2nd row folds to create a flat load floor.

As for charging, Nissan officials weren’t ready to offer details beyond noting Ariya can handle up to 137 kilowatts of power, a big jump up from the roughly 50 kW limit for Leaf. That would suggest an 80% recharge for the smaller pack in perhaps a bit over an hour at a CCS charger.

And that signals another big shift by the automaker which had been the only key player in the U.S. market committed to the older, slower CHAdeMO system. Nissan’s policy “is to have happy customers,” said Espinosa,” and with more – and faster — CCS chargers now available, the switch was overdue, according to EV analysts.

As for pricing, the base version of the 2021 Nissan Ariya will start at $40,000, said Espinosa. It is set to go on sale in Japan in the coming weeks, with U.S. dealers beginning deliveries “later in 2021.”

For the first half of the past decade, Nissan dominated EV sales charts. It has lost its lead to Tesla and is facing plenty of other competition going forward. Whether it can come close to being a significant player with Ariya is far from certain. But Nissan officials are betting that the new BEV has enough going for it to make Ariya a serious contender.

(Ford’s Bronco is back…and it’s now part of a new family of SUVs.)

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FCA CEO Manley Says Hybrid Wrangler Arriving By End of 2020

FCA CEO Mike Manley told attendees at the company’s annual shareholder meeting held online that the new Jeep Wrangler would be here by the end of 2020.

After sitting on the sidelines when it came to electric vehicles and their derivatives Fiat Chrysler revealed it’s now in the game with the introduction of the Jeep Wrangler plug-in hybrid.

FCA CEO Mike Manley discussed the importance of the new entry during the company’s annual general meeting held online Friday. Prior to the Wrangler, the company’s only real efforts at electrification were the current Chrysler Pacifica hybrid and a past iteration of the Fiat 500e.

That vehicle was so reviled by then-CEO Sergio Marchionne, he implored people not to buy it because he said the company lost too much money on the sale of each vehicle. The new Wrangler hybrid will usher in a new era at FCA.

(Jeep bringing three plug-in hybrids to CES.)

“Jeep’s icon the Wrangler will arrive on the market with a 4xe version that will be on the front line of our electrification strategy in North America,” he said during the automaker’s annual general meeting held online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Detroit News.

All Jeep plug-in hybrids will adopt this badge in the future, starting with the new Wrangler hybrid.

Going forward, all electrified Jeep products will carry a special “4xe” badge. Now the arrival of the hybrid Wrangler wasn’t really a surprise, as had been discussed for some time and made an earlier appearance at CES in Las Vegas in January.

No real details were given at the time, but now Manley said it will be available in the U.S. by the end of this year. China and Europe will get it sometime in the first quarter of 2021. Manley didn’t offer up what Jeep models are next to be electrified, if you will.

(Click Here for an earlier look at Jeep’s PHEV plans.)

However, at CES the Wrangler was joined by Compass and Renegade hybrid vehicles. It wasn’t even the first real event for those vehicles either, Jeep having teased versions of the Compass and Renegade plug-ins last year.

The new Jeep Wrangler hybrid is slated to arrive at the end of 2020.

If it hasn’t torn up those original plans, we can expect to see the new plug-in hybrids deliver up to 31 miles range and the ability to operate at speeds up to 62 mph in all-electric mode. The gas and electric power sources, the brand said last year, combine to deliver about 240 horsepower.

The hybrids are critical to the commitment to offer electrified versions of all Jeeps by 2022 to meeting tougher carbon emissions standards in other parts of the world. Orders for the plug-in Jeep Compass and Renegade crossovers in Europe will start in by early July.

(FCA makes splash at SEMA as Jeep takes 4×4 award.)

Manley did not talk about the brand’s larger, pricier models, which will need to find a place for a plug sooner rather than later, especially the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, which will be built in Warren, Michigan.